Operations at Nelson Mandela University are expected to resume on Thursday after the student representative council met management on Wednesday.
A group of students blockaded the entrance to the university’s main campus on Wednesday, protesting against what they said was a slow-paced response to student funding issues and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) appeals.
Staff and students were turned away, resulting in the university advising students and staff to learn and work from home.
Metro police monitored the protest action.
SRC president Pontsho Hlongwane said the institution had not been working efficiently to attend to students’ issues.
He said several students were struggling to study or secure accommodation due to what he said was NMU’s inefficiency.
“The university has this element of laziness, perhaps because they are doing things virtually.
“They are not working efficiently to assist students and the slow process is frustrating to students whose e-mails are never responded to.
“There are students who are still not registered, who are getting evicted from their residences and some are still waiting for their book allowances,” Hlongwane said.
He said some students had managed to register for free but could not get book allowances or accommodation.
Daso leader Lenard Malesa said they had written to university management on Monday in an attempt to resolve the issues but the engagements had not yielded positive results.
He said they had requested that NMU extend the registration deadline to accommodate students who were still appealing to be granted funding.
“Deadline for appeals is on the 30th of this month, so how can you close registration this week while other students are still trying to appeal for funding?”
The SRC met university management, where resolutions to the students’ memorandum of demands were discussed.
Hlongwane said the protest was called off following the meetings.
Hlongwane said NMU agreed that:
- Students may still register after the initial deadline of April 16;
- Academically deserving students who are facing funding issues will be given temporary accommodation and no students will be evicted while awaiting their funding confirmation;
- Students who missed formal assessments will be allowed another opportunity to write extra assessments and their marks will not be capped;
- Book allowances for both first-year and returning students who are funded for 2021 has been activated and first-year students who received R2,200 without opting in for a laptop will receive their R3,000 back;
- The issue of financially excluded students who were previously funded by NSFAS has been escalated to the funding scheme; and
- A new online link for students to appeal through the university for funding will be created.
NMU spokesperson Zandile Mbabela confirmed the meeting with the SRC.
“The agreement is that all students who have been granted residences admission, but are awaiting funding clearance, will not be evicted from campus, as has been the case.
“The challenge is with private companies enlisted as accredited service providers, but the university has been liaising with accredited off-campus accommodation in this regard.
“Those students who are unable to register by Friday, for various reasons beyond their control, can be assisted with registration on a case-by-case basis thereafter,” she said.
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